Technical Field
The present disclosure is directed to security systems that determine the status of an article and, more particularly, to a detection system and device that provides for remote scanning of one or more containers to determine a condition of each container, such as whether a container has been tampered with, moved, or opened.
Description of the Related Art
Numerous devices and systems have been developed to monitor the condition of containers in order to protect them from tampering, unwanted movement, and theft. Many monitoring systems are passive in nature in that they only provide surveillance capability. Active systems can include a notification feature, such as an alarm, that will activate when the container or its contents are disturbed. The first approach is continuous in that it is always activated, thus requiring a source of constant energy and in some cases constant observation by a user. The second approach may also require constant consumption of energy as well as one or more responders who will be available to respond to the alarm condition.
In certain applications, however, it is only necessary to periodically check a container or its contents to determine its condition. One example is under-seat life vest containers for commercial aircraft. Typically these containers only need to be inspected on a periodic basis to verify their presence and condition, i.e., has the container been relocated or repositioned, has it been tampered with or opened, and has the life vest been tampered with or taken out of the container.
Surprisingly, life vests are often stolen for personal use or resale. For example, in some territories of the world, aviation life vests are used as toys for children at the beach. This is a serious problem for the airlines because they are responsible for insuring that each seat has a flotation device. Another issue is one of security. The concern is that the container can be opened and a handgun, bomb, or drugs could be placed inside for use at a later time. While the bathroom and other locations on commercial aircraft are currently checked for security prior to most flights, the status of every under-seat container cannot be quickly or easily verified although such may be required in certain countries or by airline rules. Hence, there is a need for a system that enables rapid and accurate determination of the condition of under-seat containers on commercial aircraft as well as on other modes of transportation, such as ships and ferries.